Posted on March 14, 2010
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With 17 returning starters there are not going to be too many battles for starting positions, but with this staff you never know what they are cooking up. Here are some of the key battles to watch for this spring:
5. Backup cornerback-gone are 4 year starters Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders, however the starters for 2010 are all but set with Jason Teague & Greg McCoy taking over and no knock on the former ones, the new guys may be an upgrade. However who fills the spots behind Teague & McCoy may significantly impact the coming season and mid-year enrollee Travaras Battle-Smith will get a huge look along with possibly Alex Ibiloye filling in from his safety spot. Others in the mix include a couple of walk-ons, Brian Alexis and Devin Johnson.
4. Defensive end-Filling the spot vacated by 2-time All-American Jerry Hughes will be a tall order. Expect Braylon Broughton, Ross Forrest and D.J. Yendrey to compete hard for the spot opposite Wayne Daniels. Also Clarence Leatch and Bryant House will be in the mix.
3. Longsnapper-Clint Gresham spoiled us the past few years as rarely do you notice a snapper until the mess up and Clint never did. Getting another Gresham will be impossible, but this will be a key position battle for the Frogs. Joseph Bates has the most experience but he will be pushed by Kirby O’Meara who was highly regarded out of high school and Daniel Shelley.
2. Linebacker-Another big loss for the Frogs will be linebacker Daryl Washington who will move on the the NFL and if TCU is to maintain its recent reputation as Linebacker U they will need someone to step up big to fill this spot. Tank Carder has locked down one spot and competing to replace Washington will be Kris Gardner, Kenny Cain, Tanner Brock, Greg Burks and Justin Isadore.
1. Left Tackle-Probably the most impostant battle to follow will be the one to find out who replaces another Frog who will go on to the next level, Marshall Newhouse. Zach Roth is expected to get first crack at this key position but he will get competition from the very athletic James Dunbar and Jeff Olson. Also having Marcus Cannon swap tackle positions may not be out of the equation.
Posted on March 11, 2010
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Spring drills start March 23 and with this being one of the more anticipated spring drills to hit the TCU football fields in ages here are some of the new names to keep an eye on:
1) Dwight Smith RB 5-10/220-okay, that was an easy one. The buzz around this kid has been phenomenal and includes everything from coaches east Texas saying he the best running back they have ever seen play the game (and remember the region is famous for running backs such as Adrian Peterson and Earl Campbell) to rumors of incredible 40 times put down during recruiting visits.
2) Aundre Dean RB/S 6-0/220 the transfer from UCLA was a Parade All-American running back out of Katy, Texas and will try and make the switch to safety complete this spring.
3) Casey Pachall QB 6-5/210 Athletic and big. Pachall was a redshirt in the fall but this spring he will compete to take over the number 2 spot behind Andy Dalton and hopefully gain significant experience running the offense. Casey turned down offers from schools such as Florida and Notre Dame to be a Horned Frog and though not expected to start in the fall, he is expected to be the quarterback of the future for this program.
4) Waymon James RB 5-8/203 A pinball type runner who stays low and is tough to bring down. His high school highlight reels are fun to watch and this spring, even with an already crowded backfield, he will be one to watch.
5) Travaras Battle-Smith CB 5-10/175 A mid-year enrollee out of San Antonio Jay he is expected to compete for the #2 spot behind Jason Teague or Greg McCoy.
